An Orange Cat
an orange cat
with one eye
(a cruel man
bit its eye with a stick
and the cat
became blind)
it always waits
by the door looking for
me on early mornings
i feed it fish and rice
and a can of water
i look at it
and somehow i remember
what i was
on my past lives
what i lacked once
now i must fill
lest i be the rat
forever.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
A Request To The Dead
I offer this water to you,
my father, grandfather and great grandfather,
and to you, soldiers and generals
who fought for us and who fought against us
and who were killed by this war.
I stand here, on this battlefield,
and give this water and this rice to you—
you must be hungry and thirsty.
Ask for nothing
other than water and rice,
don't add to the long list
of things I was not able to give;
be content with this water and this rice
and return
to wherever you came from.
Consider this: the years
I have spent with you were many;
and this: it will not be long
before I join you wherever you sojourn.
Had I possessed things
other than this water and this rice,
would I have denied them to you
and asked you to return ?
Whatever I have
other than this water and this rice
are surely not appropriate offerings
for departed souls.
True, I traverse everyday of my life
with this baggage of witheld things,
but whenever I look at them
I disintegrate and cry out
with a voice that rends
the heavens
and the underworld.
Tears fill my eyes
when I make this offering
of water and rice.
I know, when my turn comes,
I shall have neither.
Look, the sun has almost set.
Now, go back to wherever you came from
with the little water and the little rice I gave you.
Look, I myself do not have
either any water or any rice.
Look, I have nothing except the few things
I didn't give
and kept with myself.
[Translated by the poet]
poem by Ramakanta Rath
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Poetry Inside All Of Us...
it's been there
from the beginning
perhaps even before
you give birth
to your
eyes
it's been there
embedded in the linings of the
heart
it is experience
it is the past
from the past lives
from previous
existences
you are awakened and reawakened
every day
or year
like a morning
you remember the orange color
of your sunsets
the scents of the flowers that
once were with you
mixed in the water of your
many baths
you remember so many hands
that caressed your
hair
it is the light from the sun
that strikes your eyes
that sometimes makes your remember
and then you piece them all
into a pattern of
an understanding
the shattered pieces unite
into a form
and then you remember
that is why you are always writing
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Varied Menu
Chicken and rice.
Fish and rice.
Rice and chicken.
Rice and fish.
Varied menu - 'ish!
Nice jungle place.
There's plenty of space.
Fresh clean air
But that dietary pair,
Fish or chicken
.....Not again!
So more trekking with a frown
Back to Georgetown.....
poem by George BernardBloodyShaw
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Fish with no tail
as i gaze out of nature... i have seen a fish without a tail
impossible but its true, first things came up to my mind
is, ask whether its worth to give time to remember all
the scene or perhaps, just a memories of a simple
goodbye
as the fish swim, deep beneath the crystal blue water, i
couldn't remember the minutes, the hours past, nay i felt
that i haven't taken my meal, it seems all are just a blink
of a second in my eyes
it keeps on bubbling, even in a thousands seconds it
stay in the water, until i notice that the fish fail to surface
beneath the running water, for the absence of the tail
the body is nothing
all is just a mirror of a fish that, every movement of the
body, the twist of the tail has to follow, its a paradox to
believe that we see the tail of other fish, nay never we
saw that we don't have tail of our own
like the fish it swim, with no direction, only an inspiration
that we can do, yet as it goes there we go, tail that swim
in the water stream with no affection of what to do
now i see, how to swim, in water, lou! where i may go...in
the world of stream when everybody is frame......
poem by Antonio Liao
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Tomorrow In The Porch Of The House
when you arrive tomorrow
i will not be there
the key of the door is found
just beneath the earthen jar
at the porch
there is an orange cat with
one eye
it is not ours but
we have become friends
after i feed it
with a fish that we have not
eaten for 3 days
we have not seen each other
since then
after we made love in
the kitchen
i will not be home for a week
you know the reason
if you have some questions
talk to the orange cat
it will tell you some important matters
that i haven't told you
listen to every meow that he says
it is rich with metaphors
about lust and longing.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Orange Leaf
Orange leaf passing by
The air is stiff
And cold
Orange leaf passing by
Flying over the snow
Orange leaf passing by
Riding over the snow.
Past the oak tree
The old house is silent
Orange leaf
Fly with the wind
And snow
Fly past the frozen lake
Fish sleeping beneath
Its crystal surface
Orange leaf
fly to the sea
And wait
To be picked up
And carried off
Orange leaf passing by
The air is stiff
And cold
Orange leaf passing by
Flying over the snow
poem by Jesse love
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My Love and I
My love and I live by the sea
Where the sea breeze flows in your face
Where the the fish dance
In there mind with thee
And the crabs go flamenco with there clicks
I know somtimes my love waits for me
I know that she waits for me by the sea
My love somtimes goes cold on me
but i warm her up with a bit of sauce
I know my love waits for me
I know that she waits for me by the sea
My love and I often sit
Comfortably in are seats
In the front room
watching TV
Documentries gulore
And game shows in
I know that my love waits for me
I know that she waits for me by the sea
My love who waits for me by the sea
She is Fish and Chips
YOU SEE! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
poem by Joe Sissens
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Fish And Rice
Daniel phoned me today
with his usual two year old exuberance
which comes naturally when you are two
and comes naturally when you're fifty two
until you extinguish it with old damp habits,
and he said
'Fish! Fish! I like fish very much!
Daddy, fan fan, fan fan', (Chinese for rice)
and yes Daniel has already mastered
three languages, English, Mandarin and enthusiasm
the last of which he is most adept at.
Well I thought he was enjoying his fish supper
but not so, and I should have known,
this exuberance could not be the result of food
unless perhaps a rare taste
of smooth creamy chocolate.
No he was feeding fish,
fish with an appetite for rice?
No, but no one had told him the ingredients of fish food
or me for that matter
and of course he was right,
as far as the fish are concerned
this was indeed the rice of life.
And he was now suddenly very upset
standing in the corner, arms folded, despondent
what happened? I asked
I am told by my reporting wife
that there had been a message I had missed,
and should have known.
Feeding fish is more essential for happiness
than eating fish,
and on his return home, freely swimming happy fish
should be waiting for his love and bliss.
poem by David Taylor
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Do You Remember...?
Do you remember us?
Like we used to be
Do you remember the endless nights?
Not falling asleep till the morning light
Do you remember the secrets we shared?
That would be ours forever
Do you remember our dreams?
That we wish could come true
Do you remember us?
We’d stick together no matter what
Friends, sisters, forever.
poem by Grace Gardiner
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Futile is Life if Swapped!
A fish out of its water-bowl!
A Pup within a fishes’-bowl!
–Unnatural are both these things,
And life could end for both earthlings!
Fish-gills are meant for oxygen
Dissolved in water and not air;
Pup’s lungs need air to breathe and live;
It can’t stay long under-water!
Fish-fins help it to move about
In water most effortlessly;
A pup can’t be confined without
the needed space to run and play!
All lives are meant for habitats
Specifically pre-destined;
One cannot live a normal life,
With living conditions exchanged!
God made the land for beasts with lungs
To breathe the oxygen in air;
God made the fish cold-blooded to
Swim freely and feed in water.
God made each being with purpose;
Man cannot fly like birds of air;
Nor can he live within water;
Each one must know his/her confines!
Why risk one’s life to do a thing,
Which is not worth the risks, one takes?
Why play with life – a priceless gift
From God above to all earthlings?
The fool endangers his one life
To do something that is worthless;
Great souls will sacrifice their lives
In saving many more brethren!
Life is most precious wealth on earth;
Spend all our wealth to save our health.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 8-5-2008
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Red And Orange
Ther's a red house,
Inside there's an orange door.
Beside that there's a red carpet,
On top of an orange floor.
There's a red table,
Below an orange ceiling.
Upstairs there's a red bed,
Inside an orange room.
There's a couple of red people sleeping soundly,
Next door two orange ones too.
Outside there's a red truck,
No one knows what to do.
I don't see the proble,
Why don't you leave us all alone.
But now I see the red more clearly,
And I know what's done is done.
And I'll float away with the cloudy smoke,
Before the inevertable happens and I start to choke.
Good bye red house,
So long orange door.
I'm going for a long sleep noe,
Six feet under the floor.
The Birds Are Returning Home
some birds who migrated last season
to places that i do not really know
come back to the yard of the house
with a new song as i feed them again
with the same rice grains and same
bland water from the old well.
and then i remember home, the family,
a brother, a foe, and my best friend.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Stick Around
Youve been smiling lately baby
Youve been singing in the bath
Youve been acting like a lady
Not a dirty photograph
Then tonight you came home early
Packed a bag or two
Its been worrying me honey
Just what youre gonna do
Stick around, yeah, stick around
Stick around, babe, stick around
Well you came on like a hurricane
About a month ago
Blowing like a stiff breeze
Always on the go
All the good times that we had
All stayed in the past
All the good lays that I get
Never seem to last
Stick around, yeah, stick around
Stick around, babe, stick around
(come on baby, sit on this)
What have I been doing lately
To make you wanna go
I take you out dancing
Honey we can go out to a show
Spend a night romancing
Nights out on the town
Listen to me baby
Youll be glad you stopped around
Stick around, yeah, stick around
Stick around, babe, stick around
song performed by by AC-DC
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Amen, Amen...
for the few grains of rice that i have given you
and for the slice of fish,
God has given me more than what
i have parted,
God has given me a house, a rice granary,
a thousand loaves of bread,
an ocean of fish
plus a book of poems,
plus the nightingale songs
My heart sings praises for Him.
For every grain of rice that i have shared with a hungry neighbor,
God has replenished me with truckloads.
FOR THE FEW cents that i have given as fare for the old woman
who wishes to go home,
God has repaid me money in bundles.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Remember
I remember moments of happiness
Coming home, goo goo eyed
After talking to a boy I liked
I remember moments of sadness
Coming home, teary eyed
After leaving my heart as a memento
To that boy I really liked
I remember moments of peace
After winning one of life's battles
Having a conscience the weight of air
I remember moments of bliss
After walking the quarter of a lifemile
Finding a true friend
I remember moments of grief
After finding that dear friend
Would never have breakfast again
I remember moments of laughter
After the past had past
And the rearview revealed frustration's
humor
I remember moments of tears nectar
When I found my dreams dead
After the doctor helped me number my
days
I remember moments of pain
When all I ever needed was lacked
And all I ever lacked was needed
I remember moments of gain
After all I ever wanted was mine
And all I ever wanted to be was I
I remember moments of love
When a hug made my heart skip
And a smile made my life smile
I remember moments of hurt
When pain blurred love's beauty
And that hug made my heart shrug
I remember moments like this
When I remember all I remember
And remember that life is but a moment.
poem by Jenim Dibie
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Cremation
Well the coal black sea waits for me me me
The coal black sea waits forever
The waves hit the shore
Crying more more more
But the coal black sea waits forever
The tornados come up the coast they run
Hurricanes rip the sky forever
Through the weathers change
the sea remains the same
The coal black sea waits forever
There are ashes split through collective guilt
People rest at sea forever
Since they burnt you up
Collect you in a cup
For you the coal black sea has no terror
Will your ashes float like some foreign boat
or will they sink absorbed forever
Will the Atlantic Coast
have its final boast
Nothing else contained you ever
Now the coal black sea waits for me me me
The coal black sea waits forever
When I leave this joint
at some further point
The same coal black sea will it be waiting
song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Cremation - Ashes To Ashes
Well the coal-black sea waits for me-me-me
The coal-black sea waits forever
The waves hit the shore, crying more-more-more
But the coal-black sea waits forever
The tornados come up the coast they run
Hurricanes rip the sky forever
Through the weathers change, the sea remains the same
The coal-black sea waits forever
There are ashes split through collective guilt
People rest at sea forever
Since they burnt you up, collect you in a cup
For you the coal-black sea has no terror
Will your ashes float like some foreign boat
Or will they sink absorbed forever
Will the atlantic coast, have its final boast
Nothing else contained you ever
Now the coal-black sea waits for me-me-me
The coal-black sea waits forever
When I leave this joint at some further point
The same coal-black sea will it be waiting
song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Someone Waits For You
Oh, my heart knows more with each passing day,
And I know I'll change if you leave or stay.
But when our world turns where it's turning to,
You'll see some hearts fade, while mine shine's on through,
I will still be there some day for you.
You see, somewhere, someone waits for you,
Who hopes you will come through,
Who'll wait until you do.
You'll see a line at some familiar door,
And when you reach the shore,
Life won't hurt any more.
Remember, night may trouble you, with endless dreams,
But blue skies wait for you beyond the sunrise.
I'm here, so walk into your fate,
It never is too late.
There's someone smiling through,
Who'll do all they can do, for you.
Remember, somewhere, someone waits for you.
-Instrumental-
There's someone smiling through,
Who'll do all they can do, for you.
Remember, somewhere, someone waits for you.
song performed by by Carly Simon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Fish Out Of Water
You always said you were the compassionate one
But now you're laughing at the sun
With all your high class friends you think you've got it made
The only thing you made was that tanned look on your face
With all your cigarettes and fancy cars
You ain't a clue who or what you are
You're dreaming your life away
Fish out of water
Go swim in the tide today
Fish out of water
We used to sit and talk about primal scream
To exorsice our past was our adolescent dream
But now it's sink or swim since your memory fails
Now in Neptune's kitchen you will be food for killer whales
And on the crucifix his mother made
Hangs one more martyr to the hit parade
You're dreaming you're life away
Fish out of water
Go swim in the tide today
Fish out of water
You're dreaming you're life away
Fish out of water
Go swim in the tide today
Fish out of water
song performed by by Tears For Fears from Elemental
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
My Death
My death waits like an old roue
So confident, Ill go his way
Whistle to him
And the passing time...
My death waits like a Bible truth
At the funeral of my youth
We drank for that -
The passing time..
My death waits like
A witch at night
As surely as our love is right
Lets not think of that or the passing time
But whatever lies behind the door
There is nothing much to do...
Angel or devil, I dont care
For in front of that door...
There is you.
My death waits like a beggar blind
Who sees the world through an unlit mind
Throw him a dime
For the passing time...
My death waits to allow my friends
A few good times
Before it ends
Lets not think about
And the passing time..
My death waits there, between your thighs,
Your cool fingers will close my eyes,
Lets not think about the passing time.
For whatever lies behind the door
There is nothing much to do...
Angel or devil, I dont care
For in front of that door...
There is you.
My death waits there among the leaves
In magicians mysterious sleeves,
Rabbits and dogs, and the passing time...
My death waits there, among the flowers
Where the blackest shadows cowers
So lets pick lilacs
The passing time..
My death waits there, in a double bed
Sails of oblivion and my head
Lets not think about
The passing time.
But whatever lies behind the door
There is nothing much to do...
Angel or devil, I dont care
For, in front of that door...
There is you.
song performed by by David Bowie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!